It happened in a flash. One moment Jehu was only a military man, one who was in charge of the chariot brigade of Israel. Suddenly he became God’s anointed king. Jehu drove his chariot as fast as he could to carry out Elisha’s order. Jehu’s quick courage was faithful courage.
I will hasten and not delay
to obey your commands.
This is one of those hard stories in the Bible which is not filled with loving or happy scenes. In fact, there are some pretty harsh details about what happened to Jezebel, the wicked queen. Some people might say that stories like this shouldn’t be in the Bible because they don’t help people to see how to live like Jesus. But other people would argue that the stories in the Bible are there to tell us the truth about God’s history with His people—to show the wickedness of sinful choices and the righteousness of the holy God. What do you think people can learn from reading these stories?
When very famous or politically important people die, journalists may post a long obituary about them, telling about all the things they did and were known for. These accounts usually focus on the good things a person did. But what do you think someone might have written about Jezebel? Review some of the stories about Jezebel in the Bible and then try to write an obituary for her. Are there any positive things you could say about her?
Lord, give me courage to obey you quickly as King Jehu did when he heard Elisha’s prophecy. Amen.